


The Tale of Will Newbie

by WillNewbie



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:21:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28994394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillNewbie/pseuds/WillNewbie
Summary: This series is inspired by the music of TheFatRat, please take a look if you don't know who he is: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheFatRat/featured16 year-old Will Newbie is an explorer of ancient ruins across the secluded kingdom of Humania. One day, out on one of his expeditions, he finds something that makes him lose everything. His world turned upside-down, he is forced to venture out into territory long abandoned, commune with lost gods, enter four diverse kingdoms, and bring together a group of Champions in order to fight back against the forces of Sin. The Tale begins.Any feedback, praise or criticism, is greatly appreciated! This is my first true attempt at writing a story. I want to be better, so I'll consider any criticisms you may have.





	1. A Shell of the Past

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheFatRat and other creators like him](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=TheFatRat+and+other+creators+like+him).



> This is my first _real _attempt at writing. This can also be found on Wattpad and Tumblr:_  
>  https://thetaleofwillnewbie.tumblr.com/post/641344205318488064/prologue-a-shell-of-the-past  
> https://www.wattpad.com/1016468371-the-tale-of-will-newbie-prologue-a-shell-of-the?preview=true_

Wind howls through the cliffs of Humania, ripping through the torn cloth of the toppled sails. The ship’s wood creaks and moans, the wind beating against its surface. Here, far from home, in a graveyard of an era long past, a boy stands atop the cliffs, gazing out at the vast landscape before him. Beyond the hills of the Human kingdom, a great wall looms over civilization. Conversely, in front of his face lies a hole in the side of the felled ship, opening the way for him into darkness. His worn blue shirt and heavy brown cloak attempt to pull away from him, as if begging him not to enter. Of course, he doesn’t listen. It’s not like this is his first time entering into unknown perils. But, just in case, he unclasps his sword from the sheath around his waist, grasping it’s hilt, ready for an attack at any minute. You never know, there could be yet another den of foxes hiding in the shadows, however unlikely that may be in these cliffs.

Carefully stepping forward, he enters the darkness, each step made with mindful precision. He squints, just barely able to decipher his surroundings, though not nearly enough for him to be able to catch any hidden dangers. Luckily, he has a tool just for the occasion. Shoving his hand into his left pocket, he conjures a little orb about the size of his palm. Bringing it up to his mouth, he whispers one word: “On.”

In response, the ball whirs to life, purple lights flickering on and pieces separating and moving into place. A small gap opens at the top, and from this a purple rectangle appears in front of the boy’s face. He blinks rapidly, the sudden light blinding him, silently cursing himself for doing that every time. A menu appears on the screen in front of him, but he ignores it for now, instead using the purple glow to illuminate his surroundings (He couldn’t read most of it, anyways). The purple light isn’t much of an improvement, but he can see well enough to decide that there are no threats, so he carries on.

He knows what to look for. Stepping over shrubs and tearing his legs from thorns crawling from the stone floors, he comes to a ledge. He knows that, at the top, there’s a board of controls that he needs to reach, which may or may not have what he’s looking for. But, looking around, he can’t seem to find any way up. If there was one, it probably fell apart. And then he spies a certain group of especially thick vines reaching down from the ledge. And he gets a stupid idea.

Reaching for the vine, orb in one hand, vine in the other, he lifts his legs and sets them against the wall. Now hanging from one arm, he slips the orb under his chin and closes it against his throat, the menu aiming towards the wall. With his left arm now free, he reaches for the vine, and grasps it tight. Ready to continue, he lifts his right hand above his left, preparing to take a step-

The vine snaps, of course, and he falls onto his back, knocking the wind out of him with a powerful  _whoosh_ , and the orb rolling away. A bit of his countryside upbringing comes out, sputtering, “Dadgummit,” as he strains to sit up. Thankfully, his head is safe, but he’s having a bit of trouble breathing.  _ Ya get whatcha get,  _ he thinks. Naturally, this isn’t the only time he’s done something like this, so he quickly gets up and scrambles for the orb. Picking it up, the light reveals a pile of rocks that very conveniently lead up to the ledge, but somehow he completely missed it. Another silent curse.

After hopping up the rocks and proudly only losing his balance once, he arrives atop the ledge. Set into the wall is a massive window, once probably providing a view of the skies before something caused them to crash to the Earth. Now it only reveals rock. This of course comes from the popular theory that these “boats” once proudly flew through the air, providing passage to all four kingdoms. What gave them this extraordinary ability remains unknown and mostly unconsidered, but our little friend has his own theory. 

Below the window is a long control board, with several switches, buttons, and other things he doesn’t recognize. Moving his eyes along the various bits and bobs, he comes to the center, where one area seems to have been set apart from the rest for some unique purpose. A metal panel juts from the wooden control board, with a spherical depression in the middle lined with odd patterns. This is where he believes to once have held the “core”, a mysterious mechanism that gave the ships their ability of flight. Searching many other ships of almost exact design yielded no other possibility. Whatever was held here, was important. 

The core wasn’t there, so he turned his attention to the rest of the ship. Below the ledge he was on was an entirely empty room. Searching for any other areas of interest brought nothing. No core, no clues, nothing. A waste of breath. So, he steps out from the darkness and back into the light of day to find the sun blinding him.

Blinking rapidly as his eyes attempt to adjust, he looks back over the mountains. His eyes are naturally drawn to the Eye, a range of mountains forbidden by the King to travel for unknown reasons. Whatever secrets they’ve held, no one’s returned to tell of. But, he tears his eyes away and looks to the sky. The sun hangs just above him, telling him it’s about midday. He’s been adventuring long enough. Pulling the orb back out of his pocket, he whispers the activation word and watches it pop open, from a safe distance this time. The menu, open once more, he scrolls down to the very bottom and presses the second option from the bottom. Opening it reveals his “journal”, which he types on with a keyboard on the screen. Scrolling to the end of his notes, he begins typing.

[Log 41: Nothing new.]

Sighing, he turns to the path down the mountains and begins the trek home.


	2. Home Sweet Home

The boy’s name is Will Newbie. A young man of 16, he comes from the town of Nalan, where he, his mother Charlotte, and his older sister Elizabeth run a bakery. He’s a largely unremarkable-looking boy, except for something that kind of separates him from the other townsfolk: His blue hair. Since his first hairs grew atop his little head, they’ve always been a watery shade of blue. Where it came from or why, no one knows. But, truth be told, no one really cares. It definitely spread his name through town, and some outside it, but it never gave him too much attention. According to his mother, however, the real grievance was with how he took care of it. Every time he came home from one of his adventures, his hair was always a tangled mess. He’d arrive at the door and she’d fuss with it before even letting him in, giving the other villagers a show.

As for the rest of him, as previously stated, he is rather unremarkable looking. His eyes match that of the rest of his family with a color of pale blue. A small head tops a tall and lanky body, while his legs swing out from beneath him in long strides.

And then there’s his clothing. Baggy pants, blue shirt (bit of a theme, here), and a toughened leather cloak. Up in the mountains, his cloak provides much needed protection from the elements. But, he doesn’t just wear it in the mountains. He wears it almost everywhere he goes. The reason is that it belonged to James Newbie, his father. 

Will never really got to know his father. According to his sister, one day their parents left to travel to some other town and didn’t return for a month. When they finally did, she returned without her husband. Will wasn’t old enough to remember, only four, but his mother refuses to speak about it. So, all he can do to even remember he ever had a father is to wear that cloak.

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

An exhausted Will arrives at his hometown of Nalan. Nestled in a valley between two great mountains, referred to only as the Left and the Right, the little village receives quite a bit of attention as a passage into the mountains. It’s one of the most traveled paths to the capitol, so travelers and messengers often pass through at some point on their journey. Sadly, this doesn’t do much for business, since barely any Human willingly travels beyond their town.

Carefully, he hikes his way down the side of the Right mountain, down a path that leads directly into the village. Nalan only has one street, a dirt road leading straight through the middle and out of town. Every home and business follows this street, since the valley is so narrow. Not many live here, about twenty, though Will doesn’t really pay attention to that sort of thing.

Making his way through town, he passes many varieties of people. Children, adults, and seniors, dark skin and light alike. He keeps his head down most of the time. He hears their voices as he passes by, idly going on about mediocre events. Nothing extraordinary, but it’s something to listen to. He finds something special in the activities of others. He may not pay any mind to numbers or names, he’s acutely aware of every person’s interactions from the way they speak out in the streets. He almost feels like he’s there with them, watching the days pass idly by, doing work, making friends… falling in love.

He shakes his head, trying to ignore things like that. Their lives were not his, and he had no desire to join them. He wouldn’t, no, _couldn’t_ be satisfied by simply watching everything go by. He knew that, someday, he was going to do something. Whether it be in those ruins, somewhere else in Humania, or even…

He shakes his head again. His fantasies were beginning to get out of control. _S’pose this is what happens when ya hold all yer conversations in yer head,_ he thinks. 

Passing the different houses and businesses, he comes near the church, and he hears a familiar and enchanting voice traveling down the way. Grinning, he picks up the pace, chasing after that heavenly voice. His big sis was singing.

Elizabeth Newbie. While Will, despite his odd hair, may as well be a ghost, his sister is the shining jewel of Nalan. Her angelic voice drew everyone to the church just to hear her sing (clever advertising, to be sure). Everyone in town knows her, not just for her voice, but her beauty and kindness as well. Her blonde hair reached down the middle of her back, and her face was always smiling. She looked at everyone like they were long friends and that she can’t wait to spend time with them. Even her country accent was pretty much nonexistent. Will and his sister were, to criminally understate, different. 

Coming up to the church, he can see her singing “In Christ Alone” for a captivated audience. Finally coming to a halt on the outskirts of the crowd, he leans against a wall to rest, listening to her sing. In between “For I am His” and “He is mine”, she finally notices his head poking from the top of the blacksmith. Her eyes light up at the sight of him, but she doesn’t miss a beat and continues singing.

At the final, “in Christ I’ll stand.”, the pastor passes a coin to Elizabeth, and she runs to Will. The pastor, better known as Brother Jay, declares church in session and enters, some following. While the rest return to whatever idleness that had previously consumed them, Elizabeth lept on her brother, throwing her arms around his neck and nearly knocking him off balance, shouting, “Will!” Despite being three years older, they still reach about the same height.

“Where _were_ you?!” she demands, squeezing tighter. “I know you tend to run off, but you were gone all night, too! Mom was worried _sick_ !” Will, struggling for breath, desperately claws at her back and tries to croak out an answer. Confused at first, it quickly dawns on her to let go a little. He slouches, hands on his knees, gasping for breath. “It… I needed to get up… early… It was farther’n I thought…. Di’n’t wanna… bother y'all…” he gasps. Elizabeth isn’t having any of it, however. “Then _why_ didn’t you tell us _before_ ?!” she says, pushing her face into his. He blinks up at her. “I… didn’t… think... about that…” he says, slowly. Elizabeth raises an eyebrow. This was typical of him of course, so it didn’t surprise her. Still, he had no right to just _run off_ and get everybody worried. But she had one last thing to say, so she stands back up straight and smirks down at him.

“Fine. Of course you didn’t,” she says, crossing her arms. “But it’s not really _me_ you should be worried about, is it?” Will’s heart sinks.

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Will prayed for the world to end.

He stood in the doorway, his hair nice and neat, and his mother pacing back and forth in front of him, shouting at him and blocking the way. Elizabeth stood back a bit with a smug look on her face, but secretly feeling bad for him. Their mother could be pretty nasty, no matter who was watching. And people were watching.

The Newbie family was quite famous throughout town, though Will didn’t know that. Elizabeth was famous for reasons previously listed, and Will was talked about quite a bit behind his back for his strange hair and random disappearances. And their mother was very famous for her outbursts, each one drawing a crowd, just like this one. People from all over town came to watch the spectacle while Charlotte Newbie, with her curly brown hair and stocky frame, ranted on and on about the many dangers of the Humania mountains. Wallcrawlers, steganoxes, etc. etc. etc. 

Finally, after about twelve minutes, she huffed her way back inside. Elizabeth finally returns to her little brother’s side, clapping a hand on his back. “I thought you were gonna protect me,” he mutters bitterly. She laughs at that, responding, “Some things you have to learn to face alone, little bro.” before strolling inside. Will remains in the doorway for a second more, and she turns back to him. Grinning, she holds her hand out as a peace offering. “No hard feelings?” she says. He stares at it for another second, before a smile slowly creeps back onto his face. He reaches for it, responding, “No hard feelings.”

One more detail I have yet to mention would be the necklace around Elizabeth’s neck. And as Will stumbles back to his room, desperate for a bed, his mind wanders to that day.

One day, about six years before, a man came into the village. He was old, and thin to the bone, so most stayed away. But something about him captured little Will’s interest. So, he took a look in the inn, and found the man eating at a table. A small plate of bread was all he had to eat, washed down with a glass of wine. His eyes were closed, and he was muttering fervently. Coming closer, Will realized that he was praying. Slowly, his eyes reopen, and his gaze slowly lowers to the little boy, and he gives a smile. Despite his missing teeth, Will isn’t afraid. Something about the man seems… warm. It draws him closer.

“Well, ah gotta say, kid, yer th’ first friendly face ah seen yet,” he says, croaking out a laugh. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls something out. “Howsabout a little ‘thank you’ gift, eh?” He stretches a shaky hand to Will, who looks at what he’s holding. In the rough palms of this man is a blue shell, perfectly smooth and unblemished. It sparkles in the candlelight, the flames sending waves of light across the surface. The old man smiles again. “This ‘ere’s a Pearly Beach shell. They say they hold spirits, and their sparkles are new spirits making their homes inside. Straight from the shores of Fawna.” Will’s eyes shoot up. “Fawna?” he whispers. The man barks out another laugh. “Haha! Yessir, ah bin there. Nahce place, nahce people. Nutin’ like them Drakonians!” he cries, barking another laugh. Will was entranced. He’d never met a Human who’d traveled beyond the wall. He’d never even heard of a Drakonian...

He musters up a little voice. “W-why me?” he asks. “Eh?” the man says. “Why give this ta you? Well, yer th only one ta come by. It’s awful lonely ta be an old man trav’lin alone. Hardly a friendly face. An ah ain’t got no one ta talk to. An old man’s got stories, y’see? An’ an old man needs ta tell ‘em. Sometimes he jus’ wants somebody ta take an interest.” Will listens to these ramblings, understanding little. But he got two things: this man had traveled, and he had stories. He wanted to hear them all.

The evening flew by, Will listening to the old man’s stories. Stories about the fierce Drakonians and their scaled bodies, the wondrous Fawns, each bearing characteristics of different animals, and the enigmatic Demons, who were exiled after some great disaster. Will absorbed everything, asking questions about each race, though the man had few answers. His memories were blurred.

And when their conversation was over, the man handed the shell to the boy in parting. 

Elizabeth’s dream had always been to sing for as many people as she could. And on that day, carrying that little blue shell in his pocket, Will decided he would do something for his sister. She’d always guarded him from bullies, always helped him down when he got stuck in a tree, she was always there for him. So, when he presented the necklace he’d made with a strip of leather, he swore to her:

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

“I promise…” he whispers, tossing his sword into a corner. “I’ll take ya to all th’ kingdoms someday, and you’ll get ta sing for ev’rybody.” In all the years since he gave it to her, he hasn’t seen her with it off.

Will plops himself on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Nailed above him is a map of Humania he bought off some merchant.. Somewhere, he knows, he _knows_ that there’s something out there, something that’ll take him to all the kingdoms. Once he finds that core. That’s how he’ll get out.

The day he finds the core, he’ll finally be able to leave.

And he can fulfill that promise.


	3. It All Falls Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another expedition into the mountains goes rather unexpectedly.

Another midday in the mountains, Will Newbie stands outside a gaping hole of yet another ruined ship. Though, this time, he’d made sure to tell his family before he went this time, and they let him go without protest. Still, he doesn’t want to waste any time and risk his mother’s wrath once more.

He was just a few meters away from the previous ruin, a little higher up on the mountain. Examining his surroundings, he finds himself staring off the cliffside. Every time he makes it this high, he just has to gaze at the landscape. It’s a beautiful sight, as if all of Creation lay before him. Though, as far as he knows, it  _ is _ . He’s never been beyond the wall, and no one in history has left their little continent. The world carries so many mysteries up here. But he’s getting distracted. Turning back to the ship, he steps into the dim cavern. 

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

He looks around, the inside much more lit up than the other, mostly in part to the window being exposed this time around. This one is also much more intact than the other, it even has a solid floor, though it still comes as a surprise that all the wood hasn’t rotten to dust after so long. What were these things  _ made _ of anyway?

Searching deeper through the ruin, he sees much of the same. Most of these ships had about the same layout. A platform at the front where all the controls are, a room below this platform for bedrooms, and stairs leading from the bottom to the platform to above deck. There’s never anything too interesting up there, just more dorms and maintenance.

He prepares to inspect the bedrooms when something catches his eye. A faint gleam in the light, standing out from a pile of dull stones.

He stops in his tracks. Curious, he approaches it, picking it out of the stacked rubble. It’s some sort of metal ball, perfectly smooth. It’s nothing like the orb in his pocket, however it seems to be made of similar material. It’s also surprisingly heavy for something so small.  _ Is it possible…? _

He hefts the ball in his hand, inspecting it for any sort of flaw. A scratch, a crack, anything. But he finds nothing. It’s perfectly smooth, totally unblemished.  _ That’s not possible… _

A breeze flows through the ship, giving him a chill. He pulls his hood over his head, tightening the cloak around his body. But his thoughts aren’t on the wind. His kind races, coming to a thousand conclusions, but all seeming to end up nowhere. The only thing he feels inclined to believe would be-

He shakes his head, clearing his whirlwind of thoughts. Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, it’s just some metal ball. There’s no telling  _ what _ it could be. He shudders, but he’s unsure if it’s from the cold or from his stubborn excitement. His mind just can’t leave the possibility.

He’s going to need to test it. Thankfully, no perilous climb is required to get to the top of the ledge this time around since the stairs are intact. Stumbling up the stairs, he uses all his energy in not dropping the ball. Who knows, it could very well go through the floor. He tries not to rush, but he finds himself walking over to the controls rather quickly. He speedwalks to the center of the board, finding the slot in the same place as before.  _ This may be it, _ he thinks

Now, lesser men would have thought twice about inserting what they believe to be the core component in a broken-down flying machine into what is very clearly a power source, but Will is better than that. He’s a smart kid, y’know? He knows what he’s doing.

So, extra careful, he puts it in.

At first, everything seems to be going fine. Lights flicker on all across the board, mechanical parts whir and click. Will steps back, staring in awe as everything comes to life. He was right! God above,  _ he was right! _ His heart swells, finding itself crawling up his throat. This is  _ big _ . The secret to flight, to air travel. The ability to explore the world unhindered by the obstacles brought by land-dwelling!

But it’s never that easy. 

The wind starts to pick up. At first, Will doesn’t think much of it, but its speed keeps climbing. The wind starts to pick up dust, clouding his eyes. And then it all goes wrong.

Suddenly, the entire ship is engulfed in a powerful wind, tearing at Will’s clothing, ripping past the broken walls and into the inside of the ship. The creaking boards can’t take it, and they begin to tear off, one by one. Wood and splinters start flying through the air, narrowly missing Will as they smash into walls.

But then, the floor seems to sag, and the whole ship lets out a deafening moan. Will nearly falls to the ground as the floor shifts underneath him. The ship is rising.

_ And just when it couldn’t have been worse. _

He frantically rushes to find an opening, any  _ safe  _ opening. But the world isn’t done teaching him a lesson, for he meets his greatest foe yet: a wallcrawler. A Beast with six long, segmented legs, and a hard-shell exterior, it would resemble a crab if it weren’t for the large, razor sharp claw at the end of each leg and the clicking pincers atop it’s small body. Evidently, it had been hiding on the ship somewhere when it was disturbed. Now it’s mad. And it sees Will.

Will didn’t like killing things. He did on occasion when he was desperate for food, but almost never would he use his sword to kill. But he was willing to make an exception for these ungodly abominations.

Popping the clasp on his hilt, he releases his sword. Attempting to retain his balance despite the wind and the rocking ship, he slowly circles the creature. It’s on the lower floor, and it hasn’t seen him yet. With luck, he’ll be able to avoid it.

Unfortunately, he’s quite literally  _ thrown _ another curveball: a board coming loose from above and knocking him on the head, causing him to cry out. Rubbing his left hand over his head and his right loosely holding onto his sword, muttering a string of frustrated and pained “Dadgummit”s, his location may as well have been broadcasted to the world. The crawler takes notice. Immediately, it reacts in the span of a second, twisting its body around, launching forward, claws bared, pincers clack-clack-clacking.

Will sees this just in time, throwing himself out of the way before he can be cut to ribbons. Living up to its name, the Beast sinks its hooks into the side of the wall, latching on and preparing to throw itself once more. Will hits the floor, eliciting another pained cry. He tries to push himself up, but he doesn’t have enough time. The creature readies itself for another jump, pressing its body close to the wall. As it flings itself forward once more, Will swings his sword wide, hitting it with the flat edge and knocking it out of the air. 

Scrambling to his feet, he jumps back, giving himself some space. The wallcrawler was knocked over the edge, but it recovered quick and is crawling its way back up. Will holds his sword up, eyes scanning the room, searching for any exit. He could try the window behind him, but that overlooks the cliff. He isn’t willing to take the chance of tumbling off the edge. He could try the way he came in, but there happens to be an angry six-legged horror in the way. His heart is going a mile a minute and picking up speed. The wind seems to be getting heavier, making it hard to stand on his feet. The higher the ship rises, the deeper the pit goes in his stomach. The whole thing’s falling apart and he’s running out of time.

_ Falling apart. _ The ship’s unstable, and it’s slowly breaking into pieces. Just a little push could make a difference…

Just as the wallcrawler peeks over the side, Will charges to the right, the direction just barely farther from the Beast, his shoulder aimed straight for the wall.

In his mind, this could end only one of three ways:

  1. He smacks into the wall and breaks his shoulder,
  2. He breaks through the wall and hits the stone, breaking his shoulder (and maybe his skull)
  3. He breaks through the wall and lands just fine.



One out of three. That’s not  _ too _ bad, is it?

Only one way to find out. 

He charges full speed at the wall, bracing for impact.

Thankfully, the wall shatters before his shoulder, and he makes it to open air. Bracing for another impact, expecting freefall, he… falls about a yard. Turns out the ship hadn’t gotten all that high just yet. Relieved, he slowly hobbles to his feet, his shoulder still burning like hellfire despite his incredible luck. Agonizingly chuckling to himself, he brushes his pants off and breathes a pained sigh of relief. He’s out. But then something comes to mind: if he’s barely three feet away from the ship, what about-

His thoughts are interrupted by a loud screech. Spinning around to the inside of the ship, he sees the wallcrawler charging at him, foam dripping from its pincers. Will reaches for his sword, but his sheath is empty. He must have dropped it when he jumped! Now, his only weapon is a board that he snatched off the ground. He holds it up, skeptical at its usefulness. when it launches at him. Unable to think, he swings with wild abandon. It connects, smacking the thing back inside the crumbling ship. Not thinking about the core or his sword, he makes a mad dash for cover. He knows that the ship’s not going to last long, so he throws himself over some rocks and braces for the inevitable crash. Wood scrapes against stone, the ancient ship collapsing in on itself, and it falls to bits.

Slowly, Will rises from his cover to face the wreckage. Dust slowly settles around the cliff, revealing the mess of broken boards and twisted metal. A scrap of the sails flies in his face, twirling in the natural wind.

He jogs his way back to the ruined ruin, picking his sword up along the way, and stands at the edge of the destruction. He abruptly starts tearing apart at the debris. Pulling boards and rocks and metal from the mess, he eventually finds it, buried under the rubble. He picks the core, tossing it in his hand. He barely even acknowledged all the chaos. He had it. It worked. It’s  _ real _ .

It’s real.

A quiet rumbling sound comes from the destruction behind him. He almost doesn’t hear it. But it’s there. 

The wallcrawler, missing two legs and a pincer, spewing green blood, launches at him for one last-ditch attempt at murder before its inevitable end. Will twists, startled and shocked, and swings his arms wildly. One is holding his sword. It connects with the edge of the blade, slicing deep into the creature’s shell, and pushing it over the edge. But his grip on the core was loose, and the little ball that was meant to change his life forever, joins the accursed Beast over the cliff.

He runs to the edge, nearly going over himself, but he’s too late. It’s gone.

It’s real.

But now it’s gone.

He sinks to his knees, giving in to defeat. His great hope, now at the bottom of a cliff.

A small hope flickers in him, telling him to go find it. But a glance at the sky tells him he needs to return home. It’s noon once more, and he’s got an even longer trek home. He’d do good to hurry up. His mother’s shouting face returns to his mind, and that pushes him to his feet. 

He pulls out the orb, opening his journal.

[Log 42: I found it, then I lost it. I’ll come back to look for it later.]

…

[I’m not giving up just yet.]

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Will hops from boulder to boulder, head down and arms stretched to retain balance. His thoughts are still full of the core, lost somewhere at the base of the mountains. It’d take much longer for him to circle around the whole mountain range, so he’d probably need to bring his camping gear for his next excursion. Plus, his mom’s permission would be much more difficult to acquire. Maybe if he didn’t tell her…?

Reaching the end of the rocks, he lifts his head to gaze off the path to Nalan. The whole town lies before him, but too small to make anything out. It all looks so tiny from his perch, like toys he’d play with as a kid. He smiles, looking down upon his home. His dreams of adventure always took him so far from here, but right now, he’s happy to almost be home. He just stands and stares for a moment, enjoying the view. He may not be very involved, but he loves it here. It  _ is  _ home.

Until a red light explodes from the edge of town.

He immediately forgets about the core as he rushes down the path home.


	4. Ghost Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's empty.

All thoughts of the core, of leaving home, of any sort of adventure immediately left him. In fact, any cohesive thought was left behind, other than  _ Get down Get down Get down GET DOWN NOW  _ of course. He remembers nothing of the trip down other than those words repeating in his head, over and over and over.

He runs and runs and runs, giving no thought to his strained lungs and pounding heart. His feet beat against the earth, tearing up dirt, grass and rocks, the sounds in competition with the blood rushing through his ears.

He’s almost ready to puke whenever he stumbles out into the empty street.  _ Empty _ street. The sun may be sinking into the horizon, but that never stopped the townsfolk from going out and about. There was always at least one person wandering outside. But there’s no one, not even a stray dog or cat. His heartbeat is the only sound.

But it’s not totally empty.

At the far end of the street, he sees three figures surrounded by the same red light he saw from the path. 

One of the figures, the one in the center of the light, turns to look in his direction. Frantic, he dives behind a nearby fruitcart. They didn’t see him, did they? But the silence is finally broken by the sound of heavy footsteps, bouncing off the walls and the sides of the mountains. He can hear the rattling of metal, but coupled with other clicking and whirring sounds. It doesn’t sound like armor. It sounds… mechanical, like his orb. A lot like his orb, actually.

The footsteps slowly come closer and closer. He doesn’t breathe. The footsteps stop. More clicking. Then they continue, passing him by. This is his chance. Mustering all his remaining courage (and oxygen), he peeks over the edge of the cart. His heart goes cold.

A skeleton made of a shiny black material, walking entirely on its own. Its eyes glow that same red light, revealing a cold and unspeakable evil. But worse is their forearms, fully replaced by long blades. They look much sharper than any weapon he’s seen. If he ever fought them head-on, their arms would likely cut straight through his flimsy sword!

Tearing his eyes away from the… thing… he turns his attention to the other two figures. On the right is another skeleton-thing, but in the center, there seems to stand a person. They don’t move with the same mechanical accuracy, though their movements are slow and deliberate. Their body’s entirely covered in black armor fringed in red, with two swords on each hip, the serrated edges exposed to add to the intimidation factor. But most revealing are the black horns coming from the center of the forehead and around the side of their head, curving up at the ends.  _ No _ . It’s not possible.

In the mysterious figure’s hands, which Will can assume to be the leader, is a small bottle leaking that red glow that envelopes them. Holding it up to their face, they seem to breathe in the light through their visor, the light flowing from the bottle and into their helmet. But something angers them. They throw the bottle to the ground, it somehow not shattering against the packed dirt, and stomp ahead to the other skeleton. Their head swings from side to side as they pass by each building, like they’re searching for something.

They stop, Will just barely remaining hidden to them, and speaks. Their voice is muffled and hard to make out, but their words are simple enough to understand. “They’re supposed to be here… I  _ felt _ them! It’s as if…” they stop, staring straight ahead to the mountains. They stare for some time, appearing to be in deep thought. Then they abruptly return to the end of the street and scoop up the bottle. “We’re leaving!” they bark, and the skeletons fall in line behind them. Will ducks behind the fruit cart once more as they pass by. Footsteps pass off into the distance, and it isn’t until they’re gone that Will remembers to breathe.

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

It takes some time before his heart goes level again. Will spent what could have been hours behind that fruit cart, trying to process all that he’d just witnessed, though it was more like five minutes. Metal, walking skeletons, a mysterious figure, and a strange vial? None of this made sense. And what was it they were here for? He thinks back to those horns… it couldn’t be…

He thinks back to the old man’s stories. He’d told of the Demon race to the north, their most defining feature being their prominent horns. They were well known for their sharp intellect and quick wit, but they gave in to corruption many years ago. It’s said that this corruption is what started that war from so long ago, resulting in the ruins of civilization being left behind all across each kingdom. The ships.

But why would a Demon come all the way from the northernmost part of the continent just to arrive at his little town, way down south?

Questions cloud his mind, preventing him from thinking or moving, but he comes to the astute conclusion that sitting here questioning isn’t going to accomplish anything. Slowly, he wobbles to his feet, bracing himself on the cart and walking out into the ghostly street. Footprints lead to the mountains, claws dug into the dirt. A shiver goes up his spine, but not from the cold this time. They have claws, too, evidently.

He stands there, unsure of what to do or where to go. His eyes travel across the entire length of the ghost town, eventually falling upon his home, and his legs automatically start moving.

The door hangs open. No one’s inside. He steps into the family room, examining the wooden bench they liked to call a couch. A small table sits just ahead of it, with a sturdy chair to the right. A small fireplace rests hollowly in the front wall. His joints have begun to seize, his adrenaline high crashing back down to Earth, so he throws himself onto the “couch”. Despite its hardened frame, he falls asleep almost instantly.

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

He’s alone. The only figure in an expansive void. The only splash of color against the depressing neutrality of his surroundings. No sounds. No sights. No feelings. He lays back, considering the merits of leaving this dull void. It’s basically the same as outside, right?

But one image manages to break through the emptiness, the image of his smiling big sis. A touch of yellow joy splashes against his heart. A soft blue tear rolls down his cheek. Her pink voice reaches his ears…

“Will…” 

Her voice curls around his face, that same angelic voice that drew so many to the church, that moved so many to life-changing revelations. 

“Will…!”

Her voice draws closer, wrapping him in the embrace of happy memories.

“Will, wake UP!”

His eyes fly open, his head jerking up and bumping against the couch arm. Gravity returning to him, he tumbles off the couch, his forehead smacking against the ground. “Ow.” His head throbbing, his joints aching, he slowly pushes himself up from the floor and back onto the couch. 

Was… Was that Elizabeth?

His eyes scan over the room. Empty, just how he left it.

Just another part of his wishful dream.

He sits there, not knowing what to do next. Where does he go? Chase after those… those…  _ things? _ He sits back on the couch and lays his head against the headboard, staring at the ceiling.

A window must have been open, because a light breeze pushed through the family room. He pulls his coat over him before the wind can reach him. He tries to ignore everything, but his self-isolation is interrupted by a rolling sound. Looking down, he sees something rolling on the table, propelled by the wind:

Elizabeth’s necklace.

Slowly, he reaches a trembling hand towards it. Lifting it by the strap, he pulls it close to him. Tears fight their way to the surface, but he manages to keep them at bay, pulling it up over his head and around his neck.

“WILL!”

“GAAAAH!”

Will falls back in shock, taking the whole couch with him. He tumbles over himself, getting a faceful of his own crotch. Twisting his body in a number of ways he didn’t think possible, he finally manages to come to his feet, eyes wild, unable to take any more stress at the current moment. His hands are in the air, ready to fight any foe, no matter how scary or pointy they may be. Until he sees just who his foe is.

Staring back at him, eyes swollen red, hair in tatters, is his sister.


End file.
